Gorillas are the largest of all living primates (which is the family of animals that includes monkeys and apes). Just how big are gorillas? Male gorillas can grow as big as a full-grown adult, and they can weigh a whole lot more! That’s not the only thing gorillas have in common with people, either. In fact, besides chimpanzees, gorillas are the closest relatives to humans out there.

Gorillas even have fingerprints, just like us! In the wild, gorillas live about 30 to 50 years, and they eat fruits, leaves, and other sorts of plants. They are some of the smartest animals in the world, and unlike other animals they even have the ability to feel the emotions that people feel, and they can think about their past and their future. Some gorillas have even been able to learn sign language and communicate with people. How neat is that!

Gorillas live in just a few very small areas in Africa, and they are in danger of becoming extinct. We can only hope that people do their part to keep gorillas around, and that way we can keep watching these really amazing animals.

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